There's too much to do! It just seems overwhelming! You start something, but you haven't finished the three other things you started during the day, and that adds to the stress you're feeling, and you feel like tearing your hair out, and...

If you're feeling that way, here are some helpful words from Gerald May's book, The Awakened Heart. (Gerry May was a psychiatrist who died much too young two years ago, of cancer. He was on the faculty of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, where I learned how to offer one-on-one spiritual guidance. Gerry was a Christian who learned a lot from Zen Buddhism.) In the words below, he refers to "consecrated Zen." The Zen practice is "mindfulness," which he describes. (Of course, this is a practice in the Christian tradition too! St. Benedict taught it as "being present" to the work you are doing.)

Try a little consecrated Zen.

Do one thing at a time, with complete, immediate mindfulness.

Don't do it to get it done so you can get on to the next thing.

Do it for love.

Do it fully, sensitively, openly.

Do it now.

Then do the next thing.